I am a big believer that things always happen for a reason and God knows what he is doing. Sometimes things might seem lost or going in the wrong direction, and they might be, but it is up to you to put your foot on the ground and remember what your focus should be. Sometimes it is hard to stay focused and keep things moving, but the life of an immigrant means “figure things out”, so you need to find the strength to keep going and figure out life.
Honestly, this year has been heavy. 2020 was a challenge for everyone, but 2021 is seriously testing me. A lot of great things happened, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and start my own company, I have made myself a better person and stayed close to my good friends (which is something much needed in hard moments), but every time things were going good, I felt like life decided to slap me in the face. I mean, first, an aunt died, then my brother, then another aunt, I quit my job, I hurt my knee… literally, a lot has been happening.
After a week of feeling like I went back to stage zero, I had to shake things up, figure how I would get my shit back together, and, mainly, admit to myself that things happen for a reason. Even feeling like I am at stage zero again, that would not be possible. I mean, after a while living in NYC, building a career, starting my own business, and stepping out of my comfort zone, there is no way this means going back to stage zero.
It might feel like life is sleeping you in the face, but if things are happening in your life, you have to look back and see what actions did you take that brought you here. As I mentioned, the life of an immigrant simply means “figure things out” all the time, no matter what. It is a certain strength that we do not know where it comes from, but it has to come from somewhere so you can stay on track with your goals.
As immigrants, all we know is work and when that focus is gone we start losing our shit. That is how I have felt last week. The fact that I am building a startup, went from a very stable job in a company I loved to no stability, no job, and trying to run a business definitely made me feel completely lost and without focus. Especially because this is NYC, it is easy to lose yourself partying and enjoying the city and once we get lost, it is hard to get back on track.
The fun part of being an immigrant in NYC is the fact that we do not have any choices. You either make it work or you can go back home. Life will keep challenging us and making us uncomfortable, but that is exactly what means moving forward in life. The more uncomfortable you are, the tougher you will be.
Things happen for a reason, I feel better and stronger now than last week or when I first hurt my knee. Obviously, going through these things as an immigrant alone in NYC makes everything harder, but, like I said, as an immigrant, we “figure things out”. The important part is to stay focused.
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